Celtic Names

28/01/2018

Dylan is a name which hails from Welsh mythology. The Mabinogion tells the Welsh legend of King Math who was fated to die if he did not keep his feet in the lap of a virgin when not at war. His niece, Arianrhod, was put forward for the job. To test her virginity, Math instructed her to step over his wand. As she did, Arianrhod miraculously gave birth to two baby boys (seemingly she did not know she was pregnant): Dylan Ail Ton and Lleu Llaw Gyffes.

"Then stepped she over the magic wand, and there appeared forthwith a fine chubby yellow-haired boy. And at the crying out of the boy, she went towards the door. And thereupon some small form was seen; but before any one could get a second glimpse of it, Gwydion had taken it, and had flung a scarf of velvet around it and hidden it. Now the place where he hid it was the bottom of a chest at the foot of his bed.

"Verily," said Math the son of Mathonwy, concerning the fine yellow- haired boy, "I will cause this one to be baptised, and Dylan is the name I will give him."

So they had the boy baptised, and as they baptised him he plunged into the sea. And immediately when he was in the sea, he took its nature, and swam as well as the best fish that was therein. And for that reason was he called Dylan, the son of the Wave. Beneath him no wave ever broke."

He is known as Dylan Ail Ton (Eil Ton in Middle Welsh). Ton means "wave" (of the sea)* and ail can mean "second", "like, similar, equal, equivalent" or "son, heir, descendant."*. Most translate this into English as "Son of the Wave," though others prefer "Second Wave" taking the meaning that Dylan was Arianrhod's second son (though curiously most versions of the tale have Dylan born first).

Dylan is, therefore, certainly connected to the sea, and was most likely once an ancient Celtic god of the sea. His brother Lleu is widely regarded as analogous to the Irish god Lugh* (both later forms of the ancient Celtic god Lugus) whose name means "light". Some scholars argue** that Dylan and Lleu represent the twin powers of darkness and light. Dylan's domain is the the great dark ungovernable ocean.

As for the etymology, Dylan's origin is explained by the entry dylanw in The Dictionary of the Welsh Language in which it is described as "a tide, a flowing in, an influx" deriving from the pronoun dy- "to the, thy, thine" and llanw "tide, flow, flood." Similar words which derive from this source include dylanwaf "to fill, replenish, flow in" and dylanwad "influence."

In Welsh, Dylan is pronounced DUL-an (the y making an 'oo' sound as in wool and look) but its pronunciation of DIL-an in English speaking countries has meant that in modern times it has been often conflated with the English surname Dillon.

The surname Dillon either derives from the Old Germanic name Dillo (of unknown meaning though possibly cognate with the Old English name Dulle "dull") with the suffix -an, or from the village of Dilwyn in Herefordshire. Dilwyn itself derives from the Old English diglum "at the dingles" — a shady, secretive place.

The English Dillon was also taken over to Ireland by the Normans in the 12th century, where it was common in Meath, Roscommon and Westmeath (the latter was known as "Dillon's County"). There Dillon was also used to anglicise the Irish surname Ó Duilleáin which means "descendant of Dallán" — an Old Irish name derived from dall "blind."

Usage:

The surname Dillon, as with all surnames, was in occasional use as a given name from the 17th century. This was usually given to honour a godparent or the mother's maiden name. It was rare, however, and from 1838 to 1900, was only registered as a given (first) name 15 times in England and Wales.

The Welsh Dylan, however, simply wasn't in use as a given name at all. At the end of the 19th century, Welsh names saw a revival but, despite interest in the Welsh myths and legends, mythological names were hit and miss in use. Dylan was not registered at all as a first name from 1838 to 1900 in England and Wales. Similarly, Lleu, Rhiannon, Pwyll, Pryderi, Branwen, Math(onwy), Lludd, Rhonabwy and other names from the Mabinogion were also rare or unused during this period.

Dylan was first registered in the 1910s and picked up use in the 1940s as birth rankings in England and Wales show:

It is particularly interesting to note that Dylan picked up noticably after 1946, which coincides with the publication of Deaths and Entrances by poet Dylan Thomas. During this period, Thomas was also a popular guest on radio talk shows for the BBC. The name also saw a massive boost after Dylan Thomas' death in November 1953.

From January 1950 to September 1953, 15 boys were given the name Dylan in England and Wales (mostly Wales). In the October-December quarter of 1953 when Dylan Thomas died, 5 boys were given the name (more than any other quarter to that date) and 28 boys were given the name in the following year.

From this point on, Dylan was firmly established as a standard Welsh name. In the 60s and 70s, it was largely used in Wales, but also saw popularity in England, reaching the top 100 in England in the 1990s. The higher popularity in Wales continues to this day, as we can see from births in England and Wales combined, compared with Wales and England separately:

* Dylan Baker (born 1959), American actor.* Dylan McDermott (born 1961), American actor.* Dylan Moran (born 1971), Irish comedian.* Dylan Lewis (born 1973), Australian television and radio personality.* Dylan Mills (born 1985), better known as Dizzee Rascal, British rapper.* Dylan Kwasniewski (born 1995), NASCAR driver.

16/09/2017

Isla is a modern Scottish name taken directly from Scottish geography.

Though there are a few small rivers named Isla in Scotland (one in Moray and in Perthshire), the name most likely arose as a variant spelling of Islay – the southernmost island of the Inner Hebrides.It is worth noting that both the rivers Isla and the island Islay were named Ìle in Gaelic (EE-leh) and both are pronounced the same in modern Scotland: Ī-lə (rhyming with tyler).

The Isle of Islay is known as "The Queen of the Hebrides" thanks to its beautiful landscape and is famous for a single malt whisky produced there.

The meaning of the island's name is unknown and much debated. Older forms of the name include Ili, Yle, Ila, Yla and Ilay. The 's' became more common in the 19th century as an anglicised form, perhaps to make it similar to the English word island which is similarly pronounced.

A.D. Mills in The Oxford Dictionary of British Place Names attributes a possible meaning of 'swelling island' though admits that the actual meaning is likely pre-Celtic. This was probably influenced by W.J. Watson's The Celtic Placenames of Scotland (1926) in which he wrote:

"The name [Ile], anglicised as Islay, occurs often in Irish records and literature, usually as Ile, sometimes Ila; the modern Gaelic form is Ìle, which would represent an old Iliä. If the name is Celtic it might be compared to the Gaulish Ilio-marus, a man's name, in which Ilio- may be some part of the body, like Latin ilium, ilia, the flanks of a man or animal: Ilio-maros would thus mean 'big-flanked' or 'big-buttocked.' The Welsh verb ilio, 'ferment,' may be compared: the route notion is 'swell'. The perculiar shape of the island lends itself to such an origin for its name; compare the Irish Aru, the Isla of Aran, from aru, gen. árann, 'a kidney'."

The "swelling" idea certainly would explain the rivers named Isla, but, for the Isle of Islay, a Celtic route ignores a glaring point: the -ay (-a) ending of Islay is one that is shared by the vast majority of Scottish islands. In the Inner Hebrides alone, the islands Canna, Colonsay, Eriska, Gigha, Gometra, Jura, Kerrera, Lunga, Oronsay, Raasay, Rona, Sanday, Scalpay, Shuna, Soay and Ulva all share this same suffix which comes from the Norse -ey/-øy "island".

Islay then probably represents _(Il)_+ey. The most convincing theory is that the first element represents the Norse name Yula – therefore "Yula's island." Though it isn't certain what Yula's origins are, it most likely comes from the Old Norse jól "Yule", the Norse mid-winter festival.

Folk-lore on Islay itself actually specifies this Yula. In some versions, she is a Danish princess, in others, she is a Norse goddess, but either way, the story goes that Yula left Denmark in search of her lost love with an apron full of stones. As she travelled, the stones fell out one by one, forming the Hebridean islands. When she died, she was buried on the Isle of Islay which was named for her.

This, of course, is wonderfully fanciful, but often folklore derives from a kernel of truth. Perhaps there was a Danish woman who inspired the story who was named after the island, or the story arose as a way to explain the island's name.

As a given name, Isla may also have been influenced by the name Ailsa (also the name of a Scottish island) which was also pronounced Ī-lə in Scotland. See more information here.

Usage:

Like other Scottish island-names such as Ailsa and Iona, Isla's use as a given name dates from the 19th century. Both Isla and Islay were used as spellings, and it was originally a unisex name, though always more common for girls.

On the 1891 UK census, for example, 7 males were named Isla and 14Islay; for women, 37 were named Isla and 7Islay.

Queen Victoria named one of her dogs – a Skye terrier – Islay. In her diary, on 13th March 1839, she wrote: "I am charmed with my new little dog, whom I have called Islay. He is so gentle, sogood-natured and friendly and so funny, for he begs delightfully."*

He was, apparently, the Queen's favourite pet, and even has his own talking statue outside the Queen Victoria Building in Sydney, Australia. [Interestingly, in the recent ITV series Victoria, Islay is erroneously referred to as "her"]

Birth records from both Scotland and England & Wales show how the name was uncommon in the 19th century but gradually grew in usage by the turn-of-the 20th century.

Leslie Dunkling's sample for girls named Isla in every 10,000 births in England and Wales shows that the name spiked in the 1960s, the late 70s, and then increased in popularity in the early 1990s

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Some of the name's increased use in the 1970s could possibly be attributed to actresses Isla Blair and Isla Cameron and singer and TV presenter Isla St Clair.

St Clair became a household name in 1978 when she became co-host of the BBC's The Generation Game. She was co-host until 1982, and during this time, appeared on prime-time TV shows such as Morecambe and Wise, The Royal Variety Show, Parkinson and Blue Peter, so this would certainly explain the spike in 1980.

In Scotland, Isla ranked consistently between #120-#230 (18 to 45 births) every year from 1974 to 1995.

It broke into the top 100 in 1996, when it shot up from #138 (34 births) in 1995, to #95 (59 births). Some of this may have been thanks to actress Isla Fisher starring in Australian soap Home and Away from 1994-1997, which was popular viewing in Britain at the time.

Isla rapidly moved up the Scottish top 100 from that point, reaching #25 in 2005 and #5 in 2010. It has been in the Scottish top 10 ever since.

In England and Wales, Isla was later to pick up popularity, but once it did it also rose rapidly.

From 1996 to 2002, the rank was quite consistent, having no more than 150 birth registrations per year. In 2003, its steep rise started when it jumped to #200 (233 births) and was #125 (432 births) two years later in 2005.

It broke into the top 100 at #93 in 2006, was #30 in 2009 and #5 in 2013. It has been in the top 5 ever since.

Isla ranked #4 (391 births) in Scotland in 2016, and #4 in England and Wales (3474 births) in 2015.

* Isla Forsythe, character on soap Emmerdale from 2005-2006. * Isla and the Happily Ever After (2014), novel by Stephanie Perkins.* Princess Isla, character from Across a Star Swept Sea (2013) by Diana Peterfreund.* Isla the Ice Star Fairy, character in Rainbow Magic book of the same name (2011) by Daisy Meadows.

11/03/2017

Merryn is a Cornish name, taken from the village of St Merryn in the north of Cornwall. Like so many other places in Cornwall, St Merryn is named after a founding saint; and also like so many others, it has since been adopted as a given name in modern times.

The name is unisex, but has been more commonly used for girls in recent years.

The founder, Saint Merryn, is a mysterious figure we know little about. In the Middle Ages, inhabitants assumed their church had been dedicated to St Marina of Bithynia, but most experts now think that the original Celtic saint was a Welsh monk*, probably the same St Merin to whom churches in Llanferin and Bodferin in Wales and Lanmerin and Plomelin in Brittany are dedicated**. Given that a great many place names in Cornwall dedicated to saints were named for Welsh missionaries, this theory is very likely.

Sometimes St Merryn is attributed to St Mirin (b.c.565), an Irish monk and missionary who travelled to Scotland, but this seems too much of a stretch. There is no evidence (factual or fabled) that this saint ever came to Cornwall, whereas the Welsh St Merin is said to have retired to Cornwall after establishing churches in Brittany. Cornwall, Wales and Brittany also shared a common Brythonic culture and language so links between the three were very strong.

The exact origins of Merryn aren't clear, but it is most likely the Cornish form of the Old Welsh name Morien. Morien survives in early Welsh records as a masculine name, however, the Irish cognate Muirgen was certainly unisex. Both derive from the Proto-Celtic *mori "sea" and *geno "born."

According to Irish legend, Muirgen was the name given to a mermaid who was baptised by St Comgall. She was born Liban, the daughter of Eochaidh, who survived when her family and all the inhabitants of Lough Neagh drowned in a great flood. Legend has it that Liban was trapped under the sea until she was transformed into a mermaid (half woman, half salmon) so she could travel with the fish and not be lonely. Travelling the seas for 300 years, Liban was eventually caught in a net and Christened by St Comgall with the name Muirgen "born of the sea" and canonised as St Muirgen.*

Usage:

As a given name, Merryn came into proper use in the 19th century -- that is, not as a spelling variation of Marion, Meirion etc -- though it was initially very rare.

It became more common in the 20th century as birth records in England and Wales show:

Some of the rise in use in the 1940s may possibly be thanks to the name featuring in the romantic novel Romance Tilts a Lance by Jan Tempest which was serialised in The People newspaper from June 1940 to February 1941. The novel was set in Cornwall, and the hero, Ruan Treyarnion, is guardian to a little girl named Merryn Winnowe.

The People had a pre-war circulation of about 3 million and therefore reached the homes of more people than any other paper except The News of the World at this time*, and it doesn't seem a coincidence that 17 out of the 25 Merryns born in the 1940s were born between September 1940 and December 1941.

This also perhaps explains why Merryn became predominantly used for girls after this point, although it did maintain some usage for boys.

From ranking #1646 (10 births) for girls in 1996 in England and Wales, the name has seen a moderate rise in the intervening years, peaking at #893 (45 births) in 2013.

For boys, Merryn has only ranked once in the official data since 1996: #3864 (4 births) in 2010. However, as the official data only records names given to three or more babies per year, this may not be the only time Merryn has been registered for boys during this period if the number was less than three.

In 2015, Merryn ranked #909 with 40 births in England and Wales. However, of those 40 girls, 21 were born in the South West meaning that in and around Cornwall it ranked #210.

Famous Bearers:

Contemporary:

* Merryn Somerset Webb (b.1970), finance expert and author.

Literature and Other Media:

* Merryn Winnowe, a character in the serialised novel Romance Tilts a Lance (1940-41).* Merryn, a 12 year old girl (the controllable character) in the video game Song of the Deep (2016).

12/11/2016

Rory is the Anglicised form of the Old Gaelic name Ruaidrí, derived from ruad "red" and ri "king." The modern Gaelic spellings are Ruaidhrí and Ruairí, though many variants are used in both Scotland and Ireland today (see variants below).

Usage:

Ruaidrí was a favourite name in medieval Ireland, and well used in Scotland. It was particularly popular for the O'Connors (Ó Conchobhair) of Connacht and was born by at least four Kings of Connacht. The most famous of these was Ruaidrí Ua Conchobair "Rory O'Connor" (c. 1116–1198), the last High King of Ireland before the Norman invasion of Ireland.

The O'Connors anglicised Ruaidrí as Roderic (Ruaidrí Ua Conchobair is often called Roderic O'Connor) but other Irish clans favoured Roger as an anglicised form.

Thanks to heavy anglicisation, the name almost died out in Ireland by the 18th century. It did, however, manage to survive in small numbers in Scotland, particularly in the Highlands before it started to make its revival in Ireland in the 19th century.

click to enlarge

Data from the 1881 census shows that, at that time, Rory was most common in the Scottish highlands, particularly in Inverness and Ross & Cromarty, but extremely rare elsewhere. The name was rare in England and Wales until it began to pick up at the beginning of the 20th century. Curiously, this was the time when the name saw a dip in use in Scotland, seeing a revival again in the 1950s when it matched its previous peak in the 1860s.

In Scotland, Rory entered the top 100 in 1984 at #98 (44 births) and has been steadily rising ever since.

In England and Wales, Rory first entered the top 100 in 1996 at #93 It declined after that point, plateauing around the #130 mark for several years until it began to rise again in 2011, reaching the #99 in 2012.

Some of the renewed success in 2011 is most likely thanks to the character Rory Williams in Doctor Who, portrayed by Arthur Darvill (2010-2012).

29/10/2016

The rowan tree (or 'mountain ash') are small deciduous trees native to the temperate northern hemisphere which bear small red berries. For thousands of years rowans have been regarded as sacred and protective trees against harm or evil. The name Rowan comes from Scandinavian influence -- Norwegian rogn, Danish røn, Swedish rönn -- ultimately from the ancient Norse rėyðni-r. The likely source is the Proto-Indo-European *reudh- "red" in reference to the tree's berries, probably via the Germanic verb *raud-inan "to make red" thanks to the use of the berries and bark to dye cloth.

Rowan is also found as a surname:

The English surname Rowan, Rowen, Roan, Rone derive from Rouen in France, brought over to Britain by the Normans.

The Scottish surname derives from places named Roan (Ayr, Berwick, Roxburgh), derived from the Middle English rone "thicket, undergrowth."

The Irish surname is an anglicised form of O'Ruadhain, meaning "descendant of Ruadhán." Ruadhán itself (also anglicised as Rowan) derives from the Old Irish ruad "red, red-haired" with the diminutive suffix -án. St. Ruadhán / St. Rowan (d.584) is considered one of the "Twelve Apostles of Ireland".

Usage:

Rowan has been used as a given name since the 16th century thanks to the adoption of the surname as a given name. As such, it was most used for boys, though there are a handful of examples of it in use for girls, which increased in the 19th century thanks to the use of Rowena.

Data from the 1881 census shows that Rowan, Rowen and Roan were used as given names in the same areas where the corresponding surnames were in the highest use, particularly in Lanarkshire and the surrounding counties in West Scotland.

Births in England and Wales demonstrate the name's rare usage in the 19th century, but surged in use by the 1940s. It was initially predominantly masculine in use, but was used almost as much for girls as boys by the 1970s, sometimes in the feminised form Rowanne.

Since 1996, Rowan for girls has remained very steady in use in England and Wales, ranking between #450-#700 with 50-100 births per year. For boys, Rowan has been steadily rising in use up the top 200 over in the last two decades, having ranked #188 (172 births) in 1996, reaching #143 (322 births) in 2007, and #127 (502 births) by 2014.

In Scotland, since 1974, Rowan has been more common for girls in general. Initially, up until 1995, more girls were given the name each year, though it often ranked higher for boys due to the wider number of girls' names registered. For example:

11/07/2016

Logan is a topographical surname which comes from places with the Gaelic name Logan -- most notably Logan in Ayrshire, from which the Scottish Clan Logan hail. This name derives from the Gaelic log "hollow" and the diminutive suffix -án.

Logan can be found in Ireland as an anglicised form of the surname O'Leoghain meaning "descendant of Laochan." Laochan itself derives from the Gaelic laoch "warrior" and the diminutive suffix -án. In Scots Gaelic, the term laochan means "boy, lad."

Usage:

The earliest record of the surname is of Robert Logan, a witness to the resignation of the lands of Ingilbristoun in 1204. Several Logans are also recorded as paying homage to Edward I of England within the Ragman Rolls of 1296.

One of the most notable bearers is Sir Robert Logan of Restalrig, a son-in-law of King Robert II of Scotland who was appointed Admiral of Scotland. Sir Robert Logan was one of the hostages given in 1424 to free James I of Scotland from being held in England.

Data from the Surname Atlas (click to enlarge)

As with all surnames, Logan was adopted as a given name from the 18th century, most commonly as a way to pass on a maternal surname or to honour a godparent. Data from the 1881 census shows, quite understandably, that Logan was most common as a given name in Scotland, and especially Ayrshire and neighboring Lanarkshire where the surname was still, at that time, most frequent.

Logan was pretty uncommon as a given name in Britain, even in native Scotland, up until the 1990s, but quickly became a staple for boys. This is despite the 1976 film adaptation of William F. Nolan and George Clayton Johnson's 1967 novel Logan's Run, which starred Michael York and Jenny Agutter. In the US, however this did seem to have an impact: the name rose from #780 in 1976 to #592 in 1977. It continued to rise rapidly, reaching the American top 100 by 1991.

From 1974 to 1988 in Scotland, Logan was registered every year for between 1 and 3 boys putting it below the top 300. It began to rise rapidly after however, reaching the top 200 in 1993 and the top 100 in 1999. By 2008, it had reached the top 10 where it has been ever since.

Logan was first registered for Scottish girls in 1987. Up until 1999, it was registered no more than three times in any given year, but did began to rise to a peak of #302 (11 births) in 2005.

In England and Wales, Logan first entered the top 100 in 2003 and has been rising ever since.

Some of Logan's popularity, may be attributed to the X-Men film franchise which first appeared in screens in 2000, featuring Hugh Jackman as Wolverine/Logan -- the birth count almost doubled in Scotland from 2000 to 2001.

* Logan 3, character in the 1967 novel Logan's Run by William F. Nolan and George Clayton Johnson.* Logan 5, character in the science fiction film Logan's Run (1976). * Logan, alias of the X-Men character, Wolverine.* Logan Cale, character in the television series Dark Angel.* Logan Echolls, character in the television series Veronica Mars. * Logan Huntzberger, character in the television series Gilmore Girls.

11/03/2016

We've already seen the stats for the most popular names in Northern Ireland in 2015 and the good old English favourites James, Jack, Emily and Ella reign. There are also plenty of lists of "Irish Names" floating around the internet, and we often look at how popular they are in England, America or elsewhere in the Western world. But, I often think, what are the mostpopular Irish names used currently in their native homeland?

I am using data from Northern Ireland rather than the Republic of Ireland for two reasons. Firstly, NI has a wider range of official data where Ireland only lists the top 100. Secondly, well...this blog is called British baby names, so it makes sense.

The most popular "Irish" name in the chart, at #17, is Conor which has been in the top 10 twelve times since 1997. It is also the most popular "Irish" name in Ireland, having ranked in the top 5 there since 1998.

Conor and Connor are actually the anglicised forms of the old Irish name Conchobhar which was popular in the middle ages and borne by several Irish kings and nobles. It was famously borne by Conchobhar mac Nessa, the legendary King of Ulster in Irish mythology. The origin is unclear. The first element could derive from either the Proto-Celtic *kwon "hound, dog" or *kuno "high"; the second could be from *kar-o "love" or *barro "point, top."

The spelling Connor ranks #102 and Conchur (the modern spelling of Conchobhar) is #342.

Oisín was a great poet and warrior in Irish legend, son of the mighty Finn MacCool, whose mother was transformed into a deer both before and after his birth. Appropriately, the name derives from the Irish os "deer" with the diminutive suffix -in -- therefore "little deer."

Ranking at #21, Ryan is an anglicised form of the Irish surname O'Riain meaning "descendant of Rian."

Rian may derive from ri "king" + diminutive suffix -an ("little king") or rian "sea, course, route." Though the former is the most popular etymology, the latter is now gaining more weight. The oldest recorded form of the surname is O'Maoilriain meaning "descendant of Maolrian." The first element maol "devotee, follower," was often attached to either names of saints or earlier pagan gods, so it is quite likely Rian was the name of an ancient water god.

Cillian ranks at #25 and variant spelling Killian at #179. Both rank in Ireland's top 100 (#20 and #80 respectively).

Cillian is the anglicised form of Ceallachán [KAL-əkh-awn] -- also the route of the surname Callaghan -- which itself was an Old Irish diminutive form of Ceallach. It was originally thought that Ceallach was derived from ceall "church" but is more likely to be cenn "head" and luach "bright, value, worth."

Ranking at #31, Darragh and alternate spellings Dara (#100), Daire (#102) and Daragh (#222) derives either from the Old Irish dair "oak" or dáir "bulling"/ dairid "to bull." In Irish mythology, Daire mac Fiachna owned the Brown Bull of Cooley, and his refusal to loan his bull to Queen Medb was part of the reason for the fight between Ulster and Connacht. It was likely the name of an ancient god of bull/fertility or of the oak tree.

Shea (#33) and Shay (#201) are Irish surnames, shortened from O'Shea (Ó Séaghdha). The Old Irish seaghdha "learned" (from seagh "regard, esteem, strength") was first used as a byname and later became a surname.

Finn

This legendary Irish name Finn ranks #37 with indigenous spelling Fionn at #43. It was borne by the heroic Finn MacCool of Irish mythology and derives from the Gaelic fionn "white, shining."

Both names are top 50 favourites in Ireland as well -- Fionn at #26 and Finn #32.

As with Connor, Conán is an old Celtic name, derived from wither the Proto-Celtic *kwon "hound, dog" or *kuno "high" with the diminutive -an suffix. It was borne by at least six Irish saints and two members of the fianna warrior band in the Fenian Cycle of Irish mythology. It ranks #64 in NI but not in Ireland's top 100.

A very popular name in early Ireland, which was borne by saints and several figures in Irish legend. Cormac now ranks at #67 in NI and #76 in Ireland.

The meaning is unclear. It could be related to the Old French corb "raven" or cairb "charioteer" with the diminutive suffic -ac. An alternate theory is that it derives from the obscure early literary name Corbb (possibly from corbbaid "defiles") combined with mac "son of."

A very common Irish name since the early Middle Ages. It has been borne by over twenty Irish saints, notable St Aidan of Lindisfarne who converted most of Northern England. It is a diminutive of Aodh (Aed) "fire," a name found frequently in Irish myth and legend.

The anglicised form of the Irish surnames Ó Cuidighthigh "descendant of a helpful person" and Mac Óda "son of Oda." It isn't clear what Oda means, but some believe it is an early Irish form of the Germanic name Otto/Odo.

The anglicised form of the Irish surname Ó Floinn meaning "decendant of Flann." Flann itself is a Old Irish name derived from flann "blood red, dark red, crimson." It was quite a popular early Irish name, borne by many notable men and even a few women.

Rossa is a name which seems to have recently come into fashion in Northern Ireland, though it was used in the 15th and 16th century as a genitive form of Ross. Ross is a Celtic place name, found in Ireland and elsewhere in the Celtic-speaking world, which derives from the Proto-Celtic *frosso "height, elevated land."

Rowan itself isn't specifically Irish; it is a name of the mountain-ash tree. It has for a long time, however, been used as an anglicised form of the Irish surname Ó Ruadháin meaning "descendant of Ruadhán."

The modern Irish form of the ancient Irish name Fáelán, derived from fáel "wolf" and the diminutive suffix -án.

Faolan ranks #222.

Note:

Names ending in -an can either be pronounced 'ən' or 'awn' depending on whether there is a fada over the a. The fada elongates the 'a' sound.

Where there is more than one pronunciation listed this is due to regional variations. 'OA' for example can be an 'ee', 'ay', 'wee' or 'way' sound. For example, Caoimhin is KEE-vin in Northern Ireland and KWEE-vin in Ireland.

17/02/2016

Here are the official statistics for the top 100 names in Northern Ireland in 2015.

According to the Northern Ireland Statistics and Research Agency, James was the #1 name for boys for the first time since 1997, overtaking Jack's long reign. Emily remained the #1 name for girls for the third year running.